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New York City is a hotbed of cultural, historical, educational and recreational activity, with more than eight million residents and nearly 50 million visitors per year. If you're in New Jersey, you're nearly there. With so many choices, it helps to narrow your focus. Whether you're a seasoned New York City tourist or a novice, a tour from the Garden State to the Big Apple can take the guesswork out of a fun-filled excursion.

Bus Tours

With a little prior planning, New York City visitors may leave the transportation and parking hassles behind by boarding a tour bus at many New Jersey locations. Tour bus companies, like Matador Tours Inc., pick up guests several times per day at New Jersey hotels and public places and deliver them to popular, exciting and interesting New York City destinations. Itineraries include visits to Times Square, a television network studio, Grand Central Station, Saint Patrick's Cathedral and more. Some tours include the most historically significant sites like Ellis Island, Liberty Island and Ground Zero.

New York Harbor Cruises

Admire the architecture of the New York skyline, the engineering of iconic bridges and the majesty of the Statue of Liberty while relaxing on a lunch or dinner cruise. A variety of cruises, like the Spirit of New Jersey sail from Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, N.J., for two- to three-hour tours through New York Harbor and along the Hudson and East rivers. The sights include the World Trade Center site, Ellis Island and other New York landmarks. Enjoy entertainment and dancing, or take advantage of great photo opportunities out on the deck.

Private Limousine and Coach Tours

Tour the city with style and privacy, whether you're a VIP or just want to be treated like one. Some limousine and coach companies offer organized tours with service in New Jersey and New York. Santos VIP Limousine, for example, provides service from 13 New Jersey counties and offers a six-hour "Experience New York City Limo Tour." The itinerary includes visits to numerous Manhattan landmarks and tourist attractions like Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Rockefeller Center, the United Nations and much more.

Hook Up to a Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour

Catch an express bus from Newark International Airport in New Jersey to New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal, to hook up with Hop-on, Hop-off double-decker bus tours. The innovative system is a product of Gray Line New York and it offers service from the New Jersey airport every 15 minutes. Once at the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal, tourists may choose from Gray Line's three New York Hop-on, Hop-off tours. Tickets for the double-decker tour buses are good for either 48 or 72 hours, and tourists may exit or rejoin the bus tours at any of dozens of designated stops. The stops are located at New York City's most famous landmarks and attractions.

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About the Author

P. Christine Smith is a master's degree student in clinical internship in marriage and family therapy. She will graduate in 2015, and then seek a state license. An experienced newspaper reporter and writer, she studied journalism in the early 1980s and earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology in 2012.

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